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In May of 2006 the Pagoda Union Building (PUB) was
torn down to the existing foundation, and construction
began on a new student union building. The remodeled PUB
will be built on the existing footprint of the current
building's foundation, and will add a third floor to the
current two-floor design.
The new PUB will include the Bookstore, moved from
its current location in the basement of the FOSS
building, offices for the Ebbtide (student
newspaper--moved from the 1500 building). A new kitchen
and food service area and two dining rooms will be
included in the new PUB. A study lounge, numerous
meeting rooms, a game room, and a quiet lounge will also
be added to the new building.
Several offices currently housed in the PUB will also
be located in the new building, including Equity &
Student Connections including the Student Leadership
Center (Student Government and Campus Ambassadors), the
Multicultural Center and Women's Center. International
Programs will be located along side of these centers.
The campus Plant Operations offices, including
maintenance and custodial services, will be moved from
the basement of the current PUB to a new facility in
order to accommodate the move of the Bookstore into the
bottom floor of the new building.
Construction on the new PUB is scheduled for
completion by September of 2007. The project is
projected to cost $17.5 million. A certificate of
participation (COP) was granted by the state in 2005 as
a low interest loan to finance the construction project.
The loan will be repaid largely through a student
building fee that was enacted by a vote of the students
in December of 1999. Funds from the College Bookstore,
the Food Service, Whidbey Coffee, and International
Student enrollment are also being used to pay off the
COP.
The design for the new PUB was created by Opsis
Architects of Portland, Oregon. Opsis specializes in
student union buildings for college and university
campuses, and has designed many of these facilities in
the state of Washington, most recently the student union
building at Highline Community College that opened in
the spring of 2005.
On December 7 and 8, 1999, Shoreline Community
College students voted to approve a ballot measure to
establish a new PUB Renovation Fee for remodeling the
PUB. The text of the ballot issue approved by students
in the election reads:
"œFor the purpose of remodeling the Student Center
(PUB), shall the Associated Students of Shoreline
Community College assess themselves a $3.00 per credit
fee (maximum 10 credits) to begin fall of 2000 and
continue until Student Center obligations are
complete?"
Since 1987, students have set aside a portion of the
Student Services and Activities Fee Budget for a PUB
Reserve Fund to remodel the building. There have
been two elections held where students voted to set
aside a portion of the SS&A Fee Budget for remodeling
the PUB (1987 and 1991). Additionally, in
spring of 1999 the College Board of Trustees approved a
request by Student Government to set aside an additional
4.6 percent of the SS&A Fee Budget for remodeling the
PUB. All of these actions combined amount to
approximately 7.6% of the SS&A Fee Budget. The PUB
Reserve was budgeted at 7.6% for 2004-05, producing an
estimated $69,700 in revenue. These funds
are transferred to the PUB Renovation Fee Budget at the
end of each fiscal year.
The PUB Reserve Fund was used three times in the
past: to match a state of Washington Americans
With Disabilities Act (ADA) grant to build a disabled
elevator for the FOSS Building and PUB; to build the
Multicultural/Diversity Education Center in 1997-98; and
to improve lighting and restrooms in the PUB in 1994.
The December 1999 election was held to establish a
separate fee in addition to funds dedicated to
remodeling the PUB through the SS&A Fee Budget. At
current enrollment levels, these two sources of revenue
will produce approximately $500,000-$550,000 per year
dedicated to remodeling the PUB.
A needs assessment conducted by Student Government in
1989 identified the following improvements as
priorities:
1. Quiet, private
dining areas to eat, talk and study
2. Lounge space for
students to study, meet informally, sleep and listen to
music
3. More meeting rooms
for clubs and organization
4. Office space for
student clubs and organizations
5. A game room for
interactive games like ping pong and pool
6. Covered access and
improved disabled access to the FOSS Building from the
PUB
7. A separate area for
entertainment, apart from dining areas
8. Increased restrooms,
especially women's
9. Improved lighting
throughout the building
10. An area for designing posters for events
11. Redesign the food service area, including a
mini kitchenette for conferences & rentals.
The 1999 election that created the PUB Renovation fee
included the following proposals for remodeling the
building in the promotional materials, drawn largely
from the 1989 needs assessment.
- create quiet, private dining areas
to eat, talk and study
- create lounge space for students to
study, meet informally, sleep, listen
to music or watch TV
increase meeting rooms for clubs and
organizations
- increase office space for student
clubs and organizations
- build a game room for interactive
games like pool, ping pong, foosball
- create sufficient bathroom space,
especially women's
- build covered access to the FOSS
building from the PUB
- create separate entertainment areas
in the building for concerts, lectures
and events.
- build an office in the PUB for the
Ebbtide (student newspaper).
- create an outdoor plaza between the
PUB and the FOSS Building for concerts
and other events.
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